₦airaland Forum

Ozekhome slams Supreme Court for affirming death sentence on Adamawa Christian farmer who defended himself against killer herdsman

Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, has slammed the Supreme Court over its recent ruling that affirmed the death sentence of Adamawa Christian farmer Sunday Jackson for defending himself against a killer herdsman.

In a ruling on March 7, 2025, the apex court upheld a lower court decision sentencing Mr Jackson to death by hanging for killing a Fulani herdsman, Ardo Bawuro, in an altercation on his farmland over 10 years ago, sparking widespread outrage over what the defence and critics said was a self-defence act.

Mr Ozekhome, who is currently representing the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, in his high-profile terrorism case against the Nigerian government, has now become the latest public figure to criticise the Supreme Court’s verdict condemning Mr Jackson to the death penalty.

In his analysis of the apex court’s verdict, Mr Ozekhome said the conclusion of the Supreme Court raised serious concerns about fairness and the fundamental right of every Nigerian to defend themselves.

He stated that justices were unrealistic to determine Mr Jackson should have fled after subduing his attacker.

“The facts surrounding the case raised significant questions about fairness, judicial reasoning and the fundamental right to self-defence,” Mr Ozekhome said.“The court reasoned that having seized the dagger, Jackson no longer faced an imminent threat and should have fled instead of retaliating with deadly force.”

He added, “This position has been widely criticised as unrealistic and disconnected from the realities of violent encounters.”

Mr Ozekhome also noted that Mr Jackson has maintained consistent claims of the incident, arguing that the defendant was right to instinctively react in the heat of the moment to defend himself against his attacker, which subsequently resulted in his death.

He insisted that the stabbing that resulted in the death of Mr Bawuro occurred during a physical struggle, and the justices’ notion that Mr Jackson had the opportunity to flee to safety while in a confrontation against an armed attacker was impossible.

“Jackson’s claim was consistent and straightforward; he acted instinctively to preserve his life in the face of sudden, life-threatening danger. The stabbing occurred during a physical struggle,” Mr Ozekhome argued.

“The notion that he had a clear and safe opportunity to flee while entangled in a fight with an armed opponent is, at best, speculative and, at worst, a dangerous oversimplification of a clear and perfect danger to his life. The apex court appeared to construct a simplistic mental narrative that did not align with the raw, chaotic nature of real-life violence.”

The senior lawyer added that the apex court erred in its handling of the case, stating that it violated the constitution by delivering judgment 167 days after the close of the argument, when it had a maximum of 90 days.

Dreal1247:
Nigerians are already loosing confidence in the judiciary. Since when has self defense become a crime in our society? All the people who were involved in the court proceedings especially the presiding officers should loose their licenses.

Ikaeniyan0:
Even in America, he will be sentenced to death. It's left for the state government to rightfully pardon him

zeuss:
This is unbelievable

Highways:
Where Are The Cows? Is Evans A Herdsman?'


When Funke Olakurin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was murdered instead of Bola Tinubu to make sure that the perpetrators were brought to book, he ended up making fun of the death of the young lady by turning everything into tribalism by showing his hates for Igbos.


Tinubu has never spoken against the deadly activities of Fulani herdsmen across the country

The same stand Adeyinka Grandson gave on the death of Fasoranti's daughter is where Tinubu, the leader of the Yoruba Conservatives stands. Please see Tinubu's video below. pic.twitter.com/COhiSvabqW

— Adeyinka Grandson (@deyinkagrandson) July 14, 2019

Mrs Olakunrin died of gunshot wounds in July 2019 after her vehicle was attacked by armed men, suspected to be marauding Fulani bandits whose violent activities had reached a frightening level across the southwest states.


Those arrested suspects include Lawal Mazaje, 40, from Felele area of Kogi State; Adamu Adamu, 50, from Jada area of Adamawa State; Mohammed Usman, 26, from Illela area of Sokoto State and Auwal Abubakar, 25, from Shinkafi area of Zamfara State....

However, the leader of the team, identified only as Tambaya, and three others are yet to be found.

Tambaya has been declared wanted by the police and he is said to be capable of communicating in Hausa, Fulfude and Pidgin English.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/388382-afenifere-police-speak-on-arrest-of-alleged-killers-of-fasorantis-daughter.html

Ikaeniyan0:
Even in America, he will be sentenced to death. It's left for the state government to rightfully pardon him

Ikaeniyan0:
Please when did Nigerians appoint you as our spokesman?

Emergingnation:
Flashback: How Bola Tinubu spoke highly of Buhari in 2015, named PDP ‘Poverty Development Party

National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu had during the presidential campaign in 2015, referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as the only solution for the security and economic challenges facing Nigeria.

During a mega presidential rally, the former governor of Lagos State recalled how some powerful nations in the world returned to army generals when they were challenged, saying “Major General Buhari would revive Nigeria’s economy”.

He named the current opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP as the “Poverty Development Party saying they had nothing to offer.

His words at the time were; “Every nation has a period of their own challenges, when America was challenged, they turned to one great man, their ex-military general, General Eisenhower. When the French were challenged, they turned to their general, Charles de Gaulle.

“When Britain was challenged, they turned to their general. Today, Nigeria is economically and physically challenged so we turn to General Muhammadu Buhari. He is the right man for the job. If you talk about military experience, he has it abundantly, he has courage, simplicity, he has it abundantly.

“If you talk about great determination, a combination of vision and ability to perform, honesty and integrity, he has it abundantly.

“I laugh when the incapable government, ‘Poverty Development Party’ PDP were talking. They have nothing again to say, they now want to question the qualifications of General Buhari and look for his certificate”.

Following the manifestos in 2015 which projected the APC presidential candidate as a ‘saviour’, Buhari defeated the then incumbent president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with Nigerians expecting a total change in security and economy.

https://dailypost.ng/2021/09/01/flashback-how-bola-tinubu-spoke-highly-of-buhari-in-2015-named-pdp-poverty-development-party/

Ikaeniyan0:
Please when did Nigerians appoint you as our spokesman?

Dreal1247:
Nigerians are already loosing confidence in the judiciary. Since when has self defense become a crime in our society? All the people who were involved in the court proceedings especially the presiding officers should loose their licenses.